[Exclusive] Military Withdraws Over 1,300 CCTVs from Frontline Areas and Others

Discovery of Chinese Information Leak Devices in Domestic H Company Products
Complete Removal of CCTV Installed Across Army, Navy, and Air Force

The military dismantled surveillance cameras (CCTV) installed in forward areas and elsewhere. It has been identified that the CCTV produced by a domestic company was designed to be exposed to Chinese malware, raising the possibility of information leakage.

On the 11th, a government official stated, “Equipment suspected of causing information leakage was found in CCTV supplied by domestic company H, and on the 21st of last month, a full-scale inspection was ordered across the entire military, resulting in the removal of about 1,300 units of the CCTV.” The CCTV supplied by company H is known to have been installed not only in forward areas but also in various units of the Air Force and Navy.

The Ministry of National Defense stated, “Details such as the installation period, price, and quantity of the CCTV are classified and cannot be disclosed.” However, they emphasized that no information has been leaked through the CCTV.

Nevertheless, concerns have been continuously raised about the possibility of surveillance equipment installed in the military being infected by malware from external forces. The IP (Internet Protocol) address of the CCTV introduced by our military was set to connect to a Chinese malware distribution site. A Chinese company arbitrarily set the IP during the assembly process before supplying it to the domestic company. The server’s location was Beijing, China, and the site the CCTV connected to was known for distributing multiple malware.

If malware is introduced, military video information could be leaked to external parties such as China. Unauthorized persons could infiltrate the surveillance system. The storage path of video information could also be changed to other devices such as removable memory (USB). It has not been confirmed who installed this or for what purpose.

Professor Lim Jong-in of Korea University Graduate School of Information said, “Components produced in China are highly likely to be exposed to backdoors, remote control, and malware, making it very likely that information will be transferred to China,” adding, “Products directly related to national security must block information leakage through institutional improvements.”